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PhD in BUSINESS (MSIS)

STUDENT HANDBOOK

(DRAFT)

October 2017

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

SPEARS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 3

II. PROGRAM OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................ 4

III. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND PROGRAM COMPONENTS .......................................................... 5

IV. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................... 7

Curriculum: ............................................................................................................................................. 7

Research Requirements: ........................................................................................................................ 7

First Year Paper: ..................................................................................................................................... 7

Comprehensive Exam: ............................................................................................................................ 8

Doctoral Dissertation: ............................................................................................................................. 8

V. SELECTION OF DISSERTATION RESEARCH ADVISOR AND ADVISORY

COMMITTEES.......................................................................................................................................... 10

VI. DOCTORAL PROGRAM MILESTONES ................................................................................................. 12

First Year: ................................................................................................................................................ 12

Second Year: ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Third Year: .............................................................................................................................................. 13

Fourth Year: ............................................................................................................................................ 14

VII. PROGRAM POLICIES: ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE .......................................... 15

VIII. PROGRAM POLICIES: INTEGRITY IN RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES ….…………………………..... 17

IX. STUDENT CONDUCT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION ........................................................................... 18

X. APPEALS PROCESS ............................................................................................................................... 19

XI. ASSISTANTSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP POLICIES ...................................................................................... 20

XII. CRITICAL SKILLS ACQUISITION: .......................................................................................................... 21

XIII. Travel Policy for Ph.D. students ........................................................................................................ 22

XIV. SCHOOL/COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY RESOURCES ................................................................ ................... 23

APPENDIX A: SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS ................................................................... 25

.

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I. INTRODUCTION

Doctoral study represents a new educational experience, and students are faced with a large amount of

complex information. This Handbook serves as a resource to help guide MSIS PhD students through this

experience. In this handbook, the faculty describe what is expected of graduate students from the point

of admission to degree completion and provides information about the program’s policies and

procedures.

Doctoral education represents a highly specialized program of academic study and experiences through

which students gain a deep understanding of the theoretical foundations and traditions of an academic

field of inquiry. Such foundations and traditions include core theories and extant research, critical

comprehension of different theoretical and methodological approaches to research, and a mastery of

the existing knowledge base and its implications. Doctoral education takes place through multiple

experiences including coursework, individual reading and research, involvement in projects conducted

by senior scholars, participation in academic workshops and conferences, and engagement in

pedagogical and professional training.

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II. PROGRAM OVERVIEW

As a comprehensive research university, Oklahoma State pursues and celebrates research excellence in

all academic disciplines. OSU faculty and students conduct world-class research spanning the physical,

natural, and social sciences, as well as engineering, business, humanities, and the arts.

The Ph.D. in Business Administration program through the Department of Management Science and

Information Systems (MSIS) provides intensive study in information technologies. It prepares the

student for significant professional contributions in university research and teaching. The MSIS Ph.D.

program began in 2002. We have graduated over 40 individuals. In 2003 and 2009 the program hosted

the Big XII+ MIS Conference on the Stillwater campus. This is innovative and useful program that

enables doctoral students to network with their colleagues and present their research in a constructive

environment.

In keeping with the University’s research orientation, the goal of the MSIS Department faculty is to train

students to advance the theory and practice of the marketing discipline. This is carried out within the

structure of formal course work and through informal individual and small-group research efforts. The

OSU program emphasizes personal interaction between faculty and students through activities such as a

speaker series, research paper series, joint research, and social gatherings. A learning environment

exists in which both students and faculty can achieve intellectual and professional career growth. The

program is designed to be completed in four years. However, some students require longer than that.

The faculty places a high importance on the job market competitiveness of our graduating colleagues.

Thus, individual students should consult the Ph.D. program coordinator, their dissertation chair, the

Chair of the Department of MSIS, and other tenure-track faculty regarding developing a vita that will

maximize their opportunities on the job market.

Doctoral students are expected to participate in all research activities organized by the Department of

MSIS. This includes attending research talks given by our faculty, our doctoral students (your peers),

visiting scholars, and applicants for faculty positions. Doctoral students are expected to produce

publishable research. As described below our program requires each student to present a research

paper at the end of their first and second year as well as to produce a high quality dissertation. Tangible

evidence of publication success at nationally visible conference and peered reviewed journals is strongly

desired and student progress is monitored. Failure to produce publishable research papers is grounds

for dismissal from the program. Students are also expected to teach classes in a professional manner,

maintaining decorum in the classroom and in out-of-class interactions with students. Finally, students

are expected to interact with University staff in a professional and business-like manner.

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III. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND PROGRAM COMPONENTS

To be considered for admission, applicants to the doctoral program must complete the online

application at https://www.applyweb.com/oksugrad including the appropriate application fees. This

application must be completed by the deadlines posted on the program’s website at:

https://watson.okstate.edu/mktgphd/application.

Applications must include:

• Transcripts from previous Baccalaureate and Graduate programs. (Previous degrees can be of

any major; a Master’s degree is not required for admission to the Ph.D. program in Marketing).

• Score from a standardized graduate school entrance exam. The GMAT is strongly preferred,

but GRE scores will be considered. The School of Marketing and International Business prefers

scores that are at or above the 75th percentile with a balance between the verbal and

quantitative portions of the exam.

• Recommendations from three referees.

• Current resume or curriculum vitae (as an attachment)

• Sample of writing skills such as a term paper (as an attachment)

• Statement of career goals, maximum 3 pages (as an attachment)

• International Students (students that did not graduate high school in the U.S., U.K., Australia,

New Zealand, or Canada [except Quebec]) must submit a TOEFL or IELTS score with a minimum

TOEFL score of 100 (iBT) including a 22 or above on the speaking portion. The equivalent IELTS

score is 7.0 overall and 7.0 speaking. The submitted score must be less than two years old at the

time of application.

Admission Decisions:

Admission to the program is selective. The program normally expects to admit two students

each fall semester. Students are not generally admitted to start in the spring semester. Applications are

evaluated by the faculty in a holistic fashion. Specific factors taken into consideration are:

• Performance on the GMAT (or GRE) examination. The faculty stresses percentile ranking

rather than absolute scores.

• Undergraduate and Master’s degree transcripts and GPAs.

• Motivation to conduct research including prior research projects and publications, if any.

• Potential for teaching undergraduate courses including prior teaching experience, if any.

• Business/industry experience, if any.

• Opinions of the referees.

• Faculty evaluations of submitted written work, statement of motivation, etc.

Requirements for Graduation:

Students must meet the University’s residency requirements for the Ph.D. degree. Doctoral seminars

are not available online, students are expected to attend class meetings in Stillwater. The Marketing

Ph.D. program discourages doctoral students from taking online courses as part of their program. No

financial support is available for online course fees.

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The following is necessary for graduation:

• Completion of four doctoral seminars led by tenured or tenure-track faculty from the Department of

MSIS

• Completion of a plan of study before the end of the third semester.

• Completion of all necessary credit hours (described below) with satisfactory grades.

• Timely submission, presentation, and approval by the faculty of the first year paper.

• Timely submission, presentation, and approval by the faculty of the second year paper.

• Approval by the faculty of the student’s performance on the comprehensive oral exam.

• Completion of a doctoral dissertation under the supervision of a faculty committee, led by a Chair on

the faculty of the School of Marketing and International Business.

• Students must also meet all of the University’s requirements for: a) continuing enrollment, b)

enrollment during the semester of the final defense (including summer), approval of the final plan of

study during the last semester, completion of for advancing the student to candidacy (after the

dissertation proposal is approved), submission of the dissertation to the Graduate College, and all

other necessary forms.

Important Links:

• English Language Proficiency for

Admission http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/content/application-process-0

• Graduate College Round-Up website link for the Plan of Study

http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/planofstudy

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IV. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

A master’s degree is required for admission to the Ph.D. program in MSIS. Students entering the

program with a Master’s degree (MBA or other) must complete 60 credit hours of graduate work,

including the doctoral dissertation. This usually works out to a four-year program with

approximately two years of course work (including summer courses) and an additional two years to

complete comprehensive exams and to research, write, and defend the dissertation. Some students

with Master’s and or Bachelor’s degrees from foreign countries may be classified by the Graduate

College as needing 90 hours to complete the doctoral degree.

Curriculum:

Students in the Ph.D. in MSIS program usually take 9 credit hours per semester. Students are required to

maintain full-time enrollment status, a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester. After successfully

defending the dissertation proposal students may qualify for continuing enrollment by registering for

two credit hours per semester. To complete the required course work and graduate within four years, it

may be necessary to take summer courses.

For 60 hour programs, the Ph.D. degree in MSIS requires 42 hours of course work and a minimum of 18

hours of dissertation credit.

As the major field of study, a minimum of 18 hours of course work is required in MSIS or closely related

disciplines. The following required Ph.D. seminars provide 12 of the 18 hours:

• Seminar in Introduction to MSIS Strategy

• Seminar in IS Strategy

• Seminar in Behavioral Issues in IS

Seminar in Decision Sciences

The remaining six hours can be taken in doctoral seminar in other SSB departments that

complement the student’s interests.

All students are required to take 15 hours of course work in quantitative/research methods. Six of these

hours may come from previous graduate-level work. The hours of quantitative/research methods course

work can be selected from various areas such as multivariate methods, survey research, experimental

design, econometrics, regression analysis, structural equations modeling, and so forth. Additionally,

students are required to take 6 elective hours where they may choose (with concurrence of their

committee) 5000/6000 level courses that support their research interests. Lastly, student attend bi-

weekly colloquia each semester (3 credit hours)

Research Requirements:

First Year Paper: Students are required to write and present a paper during the first year of the doctoral

program. The intent of the project is to aid students in the development of skills necessary for

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conducting original research prior to the dissertation. The nature of the research, in terms of idea

generation, conceptual development, and hypothesis development is to be determined by the student,

in consultation with an appropriate faculty committee. The first year paper must be

conceptual/theoretical and demonstrate the student’s abilities at conceptual reasoning. Faculty

involvement in the topic selection and literature targeting is encouraged, as long as the primary driver of

the work at each stage is the student. The paper may or may not be extended into the second year

paper and may or may not be continued into the dissertation. Data collection is optional.

Timeline and Process:

Topic selection should take place as early as possible in the first year of the program. Students are

encouraged select two faculty members to serve as readers of the paper. The faculty identified as the

first reader has primary supervisory responsibility over the student’s work. The core idea, proposed

conceptual development must be approved by the first reader. The first readers may or may not be part

of the student’s program committee (or eventual dissertation committee). The members of the

committee are encouraged to give feedback and general direction to the student, but are not allowed to

aid in the development of the core idea (i.e., the idea must come from the student) or edit/write any

component of the manuscript. The manuscript should closely follow the style of one of the field’s

professional journals or conferences. The final due date for the first year paper is the first Monday in

April by 5:00 P.M (CDT). This is a “hard” due date. Any exception for submission beyond the due date

must be approved by the Ph.D. coordinator or Chair of the Department of MSIS. Failure to submit the

first year paper by the required due date will be grounds for dismissal from the doctoral program.

Oral Presentation:

In addition to the written document, students are required to prepare an oral presentation of the paper.

The paper will be formally presented to the faculty in one of the colloquia.

Comprehensive Exams:

Upon completion of the necessary coursework student are required to take written comprehensive

exams. These usually last two days and students are text on their knowledge of MSIS topics, theories,

and literature; research methods, statistics, and quantitative analysis; and an area or research topic

selected by their advisor. Exams are graded on a Pass/Fail basis by the faculty who taught the seminars

and methods courses. Research area questions are graded by the student’s advisor. Failure to

demonstrate mastery of these areas is grounds for dismissal from the program.

Doctoral Dissertation:

The completed dissertation represents the culmination of a period of intensive research. As such, the

first phase of the dissertation involves the development of a formal written dissertation proposal that is

defended orally before the dissertation committee in an open meeting. Following approval of the

proposal, the research is conducted and the dissertation is written. After the dissertation proposal is

accepted by the dissertation committee, the student is advanced to candidacy. Upon completion of the

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required forms to the graduate college, the student is eligible to maintain enrollment with two credit

hours per semester. This second phase is marked by extensive interaction between the Ph.D. candidate,

the dissertation chairperson, and the dissertation committee. The final phase involves a defense of the

dissertation before the marketing faculty in an open meeting. The dissertation is not complete until all

required forms have signed by all parties and these forms with the completed dissertation have been

accepted by the Graduate College.

The MSIS PhD program does recognize and encourage a “three paper” dissertation format as an

alternative. Still, a proposal defense and final defense are required for this approach.

Dissertation committees must include a Chair from the Faculty of the Department of MSIS who is a

member of the Graduate Faculty. Committees must also include one outside member, i.e. a member of

the OSU Graduate Faculty who is not on the Faculty of the Department of MSIS. The outside member’s

primary function is to ensure that the committee’s actions regarding the student’s dissertation are just.

For the purposes of the dissertation proposal and dissertation final defense, an open meeting is one in

which any faculty member of Oklahoma State University may attend and ask questions. Decisions are

taken by the Dissertation Committee under a one person-one vote rule. All members of the committee

must vote. Committee members may attend the proposal and defense via electronic means. The

committee is free to consider the advice rendered by the assembled faculty. Important Links:

• Graduate College Academic Calendar http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/graduate-college-academic-

calendar

• Forms http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/FormsPage

• Thesis/Dissertation Templates: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/content/thesis-and-dissertation-

templates

• Best Practices: Advisory Committees and Defenses https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/best-practices

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V. SELECTION OF DISSERTATION RESEARCH ADVISOR AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES

The selection of Dissertation Chair is a key milestone for doctoral students. In Department of MSIS,

selection of the Chair is a process that begins early.

Students will need to form an initial advisory committee for the program of study. For students early in

the program the Chair of the program committee will likely be either the Ph.D. program coordinator or

another tenured faculty member who agrees to serve. Working closely with the program committee

chair, the student will invite other faculty within the Department of MSIS to serve on the program

committee. It is important for students to realize that the members of this committee, including the

chair, can be changed as the students grows more experienced with the faculty and more sure of their

area of interest.

Ideally students will be matched to a faculty member who is charged with supervising their first-year

research. Typically, this faculty member is also the first reader on the First Year paper. The Ph.D.

coordinator plays a key role in matching students with faculty based on: the student’s interest, the

faculty’s interests, the faculty’s workload and commitments to other doctoral students, among other

things.

As students progress in the program, they will have the opportunity to meet and interact with other

faculty members. Also, it often happens that as the result of experience in the program the student’s

interests change. Students are free to request assignment to another faculty member. Reassignment is

contingent on the requested faculty member’s willingness and ability to serve.

The student should work closely with the Ph.D. coordinator to identify and select a dissertation chair.

The student is free to reach an agreement with any Department of MSIS faculty member who is a listed

faculty of the Graduate College to serve as the Dissertation Chair. In the Department of MSIS it is

normally the case that the Dissertation Chair is the principle Advisor to the student regarding the

dissertation research. Working closely with the Dissertation Chair, the remainder of the advisory

committee should be selected/invited to serve until the committee has the required membership. It

also expected that the Chair will operate with the advice and cooperation of the Dissertation Advisory

Committee. The Dissertation Chair and the members of the Dissertation Advisory Committee need not

be the same as on the Initial Program Committee. Students may need to complete change of committee

forms with the Graduate College. Both the candidate and the Dissertation Chair are encouraged to read

about their respective roles at: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/best-practices

Student’s Research Advisor Leaves the Institution:

Should a student's Research Advisor leave OSU before the student completes his/her degree, the

following steps may be taken after consultation with the Research Advisor and Graduate Program

Coordinator:

1) For a doctoral candidate who need only complete their research project to finish the degree, the

student may complete the research project under the direction of the original Research Advisor. If the

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Advisor is also the Chair of the student’s Advisory Committee, a new Chair would be appointed. The

original Research Advisor can continue as a member of OSU’s Graduate Faculty, participate in the

student's thesis/dissertation defense, and fulfill his/her obligations to the student.

2) For a doctoral student (defined as not having met the requirements for doctoral candidacy) who is in

the early stages of their program and research project, he/she may choose a new Advisor and start a

new research project.

3) A student may also attempt to transfer to the advisor’s new educational institution.

Student-Advisor Relationship:

If it is determined that a graduate student and Advisor can no longer work together, and all efforts for

conflict resolution within the program have been exhausted, it is the responsibility of the student to

identify a new Advisor or change to another degree option or program. The Graduate Program

Coordinator can assist with this process, but Oklahoma State University is under no obligation to provide

the student a new Advisor.

Important Links:

• Graduate Faculty Database: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/faculty-and-staff-resources

• Oklahoma State University Guidelines for Best Practices in Graduate Education

https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/best-practices

• Best Practices: Advisory Committees and Defenses https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/best-practices

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VI. DOCTORAL PROGRAM MILESTONES

First Year:

• First semester begins in August. See the Registrar’s website for semester calendars.

• Read the New Graduate Student Handbook.

• Read the MSIS Ph.D. Program Handbook.

• Orientation. The Program Coordinator will schedule an orientation session.

• All first year students will be matched with a faculty member who will supervise the student’s research

year and serve as first reader on the first year paper.

• Responsible Conduct of Research. All Ph.D. students must complete the required University training in

the ethical and responsible conduct of research. Please see the following

http://compliance.okstate.edu/rcr/rcr-index and http://compliance.okstate.edu/rcr/training.

• Human Subjects Research Training. All Ph.D. students must complete the required University training

in the protection of human subjects. Please see the following:

http://compliance.okstate.edu/irb/training-and-education.

• All doctoral students are required to take the University training for Title 9 as BOTH students and

instructors. See https://studentaffairs.okstate.edu/titlenine for the student training. Instructor training

is scheduled separately.

First Year Paper:

Paper is due no later than 5pm (CDT) on the first Monday in April.

Presentation must occur at a colloquium.

The School’s policy is in this Handbook and is posted on the Current Students page of our website.

First year paper serves as launch point for evaluation of the student’s suitability for, and progress in,

the doctoral program.

Teaching:

All doctoral students in our Ph.D. program are expected to teach. Generally doctoral student won’t be

required to teach in their first semester, but there may be exceptions. Doctoral students should

become familiar with:

• Academic Integrity Policy

• Syllabus Attachment

• Summary of Academic Policies

• Pre-Finals Week Policy

• Finals Examination Policy

• Exam Overload Policy

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Second Year:

Plan of Study:

A plan of study must be completed and submitted to the Graduate College prior to completing your

third semester. The plan of study can be filed online at the Graduate College’s Plan of Study Forms

webpage. The Department of MSIS has developed a spreadsheet app to help you with your plan of

study, it is available on the Current Students page of our website. The Ph.D. Coordinator is available to

provide advice. A program committee of four faculty members is required. The Chair may be the Ph.D.

Coordinator or any faculty member who is a member of the Graduate College. The Program Committee

may be completely different than the Dissertation Committee.

Second Year Qualifying Exams:

Comprehensive exams will generally be administered at the end of the second year. Student should

contact the MSIS PhD program coordinator the semester before they sit for their exams. The program

coordinator will consult with the appropriate faculty to develop the exams and provide information to

the students on the scheduling and administration of the exams.

Third Year:

Proposal Defense:

Students are expected to prepare their dissertation proposal during the third year. The proposal

defense is normally expected in the late spring. The faculty strongly recommends completing the

proposal defense prior to the end of May of the third year so that the candidate can focus on the job

market.

Job Market:

The principal focus of the job market in the discipline is the Americas Conference on Information

Systems (AMCIS) early August of each year. Additionally, the International Conference on Information

Systems (ICIS) is also of value for job placement and is held in early December each year.

• Make sure to enroll in the Association of Information Systems (AIS) to receive job postings.

• Consider registering for the AIS’ placement service.

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Fourth Year:

- Attend MSIS related conferences and interview for jobs.

- Gather data and complete the dissertation.

- Travel for on-campus interviews and accept an offer.

- Final dissertation defense should occur prior to leaving Stillwater for your new job.

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VII. PROGRAM POLICIES: ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE

Annual Review Process: Students will be reviewed annually for their progress in the program. At the end

of each spring semester the Ph.D. coordinator will issue a call for vitae. At the end of each spring

semester the Ph.D. coordinator will review the academic transcript of each student. Further, the Ph.D.

coordinator may solicit input and feedback from faculty that have had working relationships with the

students. The results of the information collected will be considered in the faculty’s evaluations of the

first- and second-year paper presentations.

Satisfactory performance is generally understood to mean grades of B or higher in all coursework, active

research program as indicated by working papers, colloquium presentations, conference submissions,

conference presentations, peer-reviewed journal submissions, and accepted/published papers in peer-

reviewed journals, and adequate teaching performance as substantiated by student evaluations of

instruction, teaching awards, etc.

Students will normally receive guidance from their faculty advisor/dissertation chair. However, students

that are underperforming expectations will be given specific counseling by the Ph.D. coordinator. In

severe cases, the counseling may also involve the dissertation chair and or the Chair of the MSIS

Department

Student files: The Ph.D. coordinator or MSIS office maintains files on each student. These files include

the following documents:

- Retained application materials.

- Copy of the letter offering financial support with the student’s signature.

- Copies of the student’s vita usually collected annually.

- Copies of any nomination or award documents.

- Copies of the first- and second-year papers.

- Copies of the similarity scores from plagiarism analysis of the first- and second-year papers.

- Copies of any other important communications or documents concerning the student; e.g. documents

relating to visa status, financial status, etc.

Withdrawal of Financial Support and Dismissal: Students can have their financial support withdrawn and

be dismissed from the Ph.D. program in Marketing for any one or more of the following:

• Failure to fulfill their responsibilities as a teacher.

• Recorded grade of F in any graduate course.

• Recorded grade of C in 1) any two of the four required marketing seminars, 2) any three graduate

courses.

• Overall assessment by the faculty that 1) the first year paper grade is fail and 2) that student

demonstrates a poor fit with doctoral program.

• Failing the second year paper/oral comprehensive exam twice.

• Failure to conduct research and produce publishable papers.

• Failure to treat faculty, colleagues, peers, students, staff, administrators, supervisors, and

subordinates in a respectful and professional manner.

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• Demonstrating an inadequate fit with the requirements/expectations of a Professor of Marketing.

• Violating expectations regarding academic integrity, intellectual property, treatment of human

subjects in research, or conducting research in a responsible manner. Students may appeal the decision

involving their course grades, academic integrity violations, or withdrawal of financial support. See

section XII below.

Leave of Absence:

On occasion students have life circumstances that disrupt their progress towards the degree. Such

periods include personal illness, death of a close relative, pregnancy, as well as other unforeseeable

circumstances. The Chair of the Department of MSIS and Ph.D. Coordinator maintain a supportive

environment and strongly desire that the entire School work with our students to help them through

these disruptive periods.

However, students should be aware of the Graduate College Leave of Absence Policy which can be used

to “stop the clock” on degree progress, thus allowing the time needed to overcome disruptive

circumstances. Given circumstances, the Ph.D. Coordinator and or the Chair of the Department of MSIS

may recommend students utilize the leave of absence. The leave of absence is considered a non-

punitive action designed to give the student the maximum possibilities of achieving their personal and

professional goals in our program.

Important Links:

• Academic Calendar: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/graduate-college-academic-calendar

• Graduate Student Appeals: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/content/appeals-policy

• Leave of Absence Policy: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/leave-of-absence-policy

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VIII. PROGRAM POLICIES: INTEGRITY IN RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

Students in the Ph.D. Program in Business (Marketing) are expected to maintain the highest level of

personal and professional integrity.

All students are required to do the following:

• Become familiar with the University’s Academic Integrity Policy.

http://academicintegrity.okstate.edu/content/academic-integrity-resources

• All Ph.D. students in the Spears School of Business are required to complete the Responsible Conduct

of Research (RCR) training provided by the University during their first year of study. See the related

links below.

• All Ph.D. students in the Marketing program are required to complete the University’s Human Subjects

Training during their first semester. See the related links below.

As part of the Spears School of Business AACSB accreditation process, all papers submitted by doctoral

students will be submitted to a plagiarism detection software. Violations of Human Subjects protocols,

academic integrity standards, or conducting research in an irresponsible way can lead to dismissal from

the program. In some cases, this may be after a single incident. In such instances, the student will be

informed by the program of the intent to dismiss and their right for due process and to appeal. If a

student appeals the decision to dismiss, s/he must be allowed to maintain enrollment and continue

working toward the graduate degree in the same manner as any other graduate student in the program

during the appeals process. Continued enrollment is not required to appeal. Once the decision of the

appropriate appeals panel is made, it will be final.

Important Links:

• Responsible Conduct in Research Overview: http://compliance.okstate.edu/rcr/rcr-index

• RCR Core Subject Areas: http://compliance.okstate.edu/rcr/core-subject-areas

• RCR Training: http://compliance.okstate.edu/rcr/training

• RCR Policy:

https://stillwater.sharepoint.okstate.edu/Policies/Shared%20Documents/Requirements%20for%20

Training%20in%20the%20Responsible%20Conduct%20of%20Research.pdf

• Appropriate Use of Human Subjects in Research: http://compliance.okstate.edu/irb/irb-index

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IX. STUDENT CONDUCT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Because our doctoral program is built on mentorship oriented toward creating long-term productive

research relationships, conflict between individuals is infrequent and rarely serious. It is the

responsibility of each individual involved in the doctoral program to their best to maintain cordial and

positive relationships with all other individuals. In the experience of this School and this program, the

best way to achieve this goal is to maintain maximum clarity and transparency in all relationships.

However, as stated above, the Department of MSIS has explicit expectations for professional student

conduct. Part of this expectation is for business-like behavior that is calm and compassionate conflict

resolution between a graduate student and their peers, their advisor, or their advisory committee. The

faculty advisory-graduate student relationship is deemed so important that these conflicts must be

resolved as soon as possible. Students with concerns should immediately discuss their situation with

either the Program Coordinator or the Chair of the Department of MSIS.

The first step in the conflict resolution process is for the Program Coordinator or the Chair to mediate

the conflict and attempt to restore balance to the relationship. If the Program Coordinator working

alone is unable to successfully mediate the conflict, then the Coordinator must ask the Chair to

intercede. If mediation fails, the Program Coordinator and the Chair will work to modify the

environment to help reduce and hopefully alleviate concerns. Such actions may or may not include

reassigning offices, reassigning advisors or committee members, or assisting the student in locating an

alternative doctoral program.

Important Links:

• Student Code of Conduct: https://studentconduct.okstate.edu/code

• Graduate Student Appeals Policy:

http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/sites/default/files/appeals_policy.pdf

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X. APPEALS PROCESS

At Oklahoma State University, all students have the right to appeal grades received in OSU courses.

Students should first voice their concerns about the grade or the grading process to the course

instructor. If the student is still concerned about the grade assigned in the course, the next step is to

appeal to the Chair of the Department of MSIS. The Chair will try to mediate the grade dispute. Failing

that, the Chair will explain to the students how to appeal the grade through the University’s grade

appeal process.

Actions taken under the University’s Academic Integrity policy may be appealed through the academic

integrity appeal process. This process will be explained to the student during the academic integrity

violation resolution meeting.

The actions taken by the School regarding a student’s status in the doctoral program must be appealed

in a timely manner. The process is as follows:

• Within five business days of the action, the student must inform the MSIS Program Ph.D. coordinator

that they wish to appeal. This notification must be made in writing or by email. Oral notification is not

sufficient.

• Upon notification, the Ph.D. coordinator will convene, within five business days of the notification, an

appeals panel consisting of the Department of MSIS Graduate Program Committee. The panel will

consist of a minimum of three members. If committee members are not available in the required time

frames, the Ph.D. Coordinator will find suitable replacements from the Graduate Faculty.

• Decisions made by the program appeals panel may appealed to the Chair of the Department of MSIS.

The appealing student should schedule a meeting with the Chair. This meeting should take place within

five business days of the appeals panel meeting.

• If the previous two steps in the appeal process do not satisfactorily resolve the student’s concerns, the

student may appeal to the Dean of the Graduate College. See the link for the Graduate College Appeals

process below.

Important Links:

• Graduate College Best Practices in Graduate Education https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/best-practices

• Graduate Student Appeals Policy: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/content/appeals-policy

• Grade Appeals Policy: https://academicaffairs.okstate.edu/content/grade-appeals-board-policies-

procedures

• Academic Integrity Policy: http://academicintegrity.okstate.edu/

• Student Conduct: https://studentconduct.okstate.edu/code

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XI. ASSISTANTSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP POLICIES

The faculty of the School of Marketing and International Business has adopted a mentorship philosophy

for our Ph.D. students. We view Ph.D. students as “junior colleagues”. Accordingly, our program is

small and students are selected through a competitive hiring process. We generally have between 8 and

10 students and anticipate admitting only 2 students each year. With very few exceptions, admitted

students are offered financial support including a position as a Graduate Teaching Assistant or Graduate

Research Assistant. As outlined in the letter offering financial support, these positions are renewed

annually conditional on acceptable performance by the Ph.D. student. Students must fulfill the

requirements of their offer letter including maintaining full enrollment. Additionally, students must

complete their GSSI tuition waiver forms before the start of each summer and fall semester—see the

link below. Financial support is specifically outlined in the student’s offer letter but generally these

letters include:

• Monthly stipend for the nine-month academic year.

• Summer stipend for either teaching or research.

• Tuition waivers for the required number of hours in the student’s program.

• Health insurance for the student paid for by the Graduate College.

Because all students admitted into the Ph.D. program are expected to teach, students must meet the

University’s requirement for English language ability for instructors. Unless a student matriculated high

school in the United States, The United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Canada (excluding Quebec),

Australia, or New Zealand a TOEFL or IELTS score must be submitted. International applicants must

submit a test score with a minimum TOEFL score of 100 (iBT) including a 22 or above on the speaking

portion. The equivalent IELTS score is 7.0 overall and 7.0 speaking. The submitted score must be less

than two years old at the time of application.

Important Links:

• Graduate Assistantships: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/assistantship

• International Teaching Assistant Test: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/ita

• Fall/Spring/Summer Enrollment Guidelines: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/enrollment

• Student Health Insurance: http://uhs.okstate.edu/student-health-insurance-plan

• Tuition Waiver Forms: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/FormsPage

• GSSI Tuition Waiver Information: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/mm04112016_R3

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XII. CRITICAL SKILLS ACQUISITION:

A major skill that all Marketing faculty must develop is the ability to present complex ideas and theories

in straight-forward and understandable language. Given that most of the time, Marketing Faculty are

presenting these ideas to undergraduate students, MBA students, or managers the ability to present

scientific findings in plain language is a valuable skill. Accordingly, doctoral students are encouraged to

engage in practices that can assist them in acquiring and perfecting presentation/public speaking skills.

Students have the opportunity to, and are strongly encouraged to:

- Attend research presentations given by doctoral students, faculty, and visiting scholars. - Present

research proposals and or findings at brown bag presentations.

- Present research papers at Nationally visible academic conferences.

- Include presentations in teaching pedagogy.

- Sit in on classes taught by faculty to observe different pedagogical approaches.

Another major skill needed by doctoral students is understanding the norms and procedures of the

publishing industry. Students can build the needed skills by:

- Learning how to compose papers in the style used by their target journals.

- All students in marketing should learn Chicago style.

- All students in marketing should become familiar with APA style.

- Students should obtain “as submitted” copies from published faculty as examples.

- Students should learn/bookmark the submission guidance for important target journals.

- Students should learn how to use text editing software spreadsheet software and presentation

software to compose tables and figures.

A major skill needed for success in marketing is networking within the discipline. Students should

develop the ability to:

- Attend all Department of MSIS research meetings and presentations

- Introduce yourself to faculty/guest speakers you do not know.

- Attend social functions at academic conferences.

- Contact and develop relationships with alumni of our program that share your interests.

- Join the AMA’s DocSig organization.

- Correspond with our colleagues at other Universities.

Important Links:

• 3 Minute Thesis: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/content/2016-osu-3mt%C2%AE-college-competition-

schedule

• Grant Writing Courses, Seminars and Workshops: http://ucpd.okstate.edu/resources/writing

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XIII. Travel Policy for Ph.D. students

The Department of MSIS recognizes the importance of conference travel for doctoral students. The

department chair and faculty members work hard to get doctoral students to various conferences in

order to help them advance their careers.

To the extent the department has funds available, doctoral student/candidates may request funding for

travel to and from conferences in which they have a paper accepted. While international and national

conferences are desirable, regional and local conferences may also be included.

In general, doctoral students can receive a stipend of $350 per conference so long as they have a paper

accepted. While there is no guarantee, additional funding may be available. Faculty who have

research funds are encouraged to provide travel assistance and student are encourage to share

expenses (i.e. share a hotel room).

Matching Grants

The Spears School of Business has available funds (Poole) to match approved funds for doctoral

student/candidate travel. Contact the MSIS PhD coordinator for more information on matching funds

available.

Process for obtaining travel funding

Obtain concurrence from your faculty co-author or permission from the Ph.D. Coordinator to submit

your manuscript to the conference.

Upon receiving acceptance from the conference organizers, doctoral students can obtain funding by

filling out a travel request form available from the department’s administrative assistant. A copy of the

acceptance should be attached to the travel request form.

You do not have to actually buy anything prior to submitting the travel request form. The unit assistant

will verify that the student is within the annual funding limitation, contact the Spears School

administrative personnel to request matching funds, and obtain approval for the funding from the Chair.

Once the funding request is approved the student may make their necessary travel arrangements

supplying the unit assistant with all required documentation for reimbursement.

All air travel reservations must be made through the Concur travel software

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XIV. SCHOOL/COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY RESOURCES

School of Marketing and International Business:

• MSIS Ph.D. Website: https://watson.okstate.edu/msisphd/

• MSIS Ph.D. Coordinator: Business 406.

MSIS Field:

• Association of Information Systems: http://aisnet.org/

• Decision Science Institute; www.decisionsciences.org/

Spears School of Business:

• Watson Graduate School of Management: https://watson.okstate.edu/

• Spears School of Business Behavioral Lab: https://spears.okstate.edu/behlab/

• Qualtrics Data Collection Software: https://spears.okstate.edu/qualtrics/

Graduate College:

• Graduate College: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/

• OSU Catalog: https://registrar.okstate.edu/University-Catalog

• Academic Calendar: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/graduate-college-academic-calendar

• Fall/Spring/Summer Enrollment Guidelines: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/enrollment

• Graduate Assistantships: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/assistantship

• Graduate College Academic Calendar: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/graduate-college-

academiccalendar

• Graduate Degree/Certificate Programs: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/degree

• Graduate Faculty Database: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/faculty-and-staff-resources

• Graduate Student Appeals Policy: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/content/appeals-policy

• Graduate and Professional Student Government Association (GPSGA):

http://tempgpsga.okstate.edu/content/resources

• Graduate College Forms: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/FormsPage

• Graduate Student Appeals: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/content/appeals-policy

• Graduation Checklist (Doctoral Degree): http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/doctoral-checklist

• Graduation Checklist (Master’s Degree): http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/masters-checklis

• International Teaching Assistant Test: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/it

• Leave of Absence Policy: https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/leave-of-absence-policy

• OSU Guidelines for Best Practices in Graduate Education:

http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/bestpractices

• OSU Best Practices: Advisory Committees and Defenses:

https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/bestpractices

• Test of English Language Proficiency: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/telp

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University:

• Career Services: http://www.hireosugrads.com/StudentsAlumni/

• Edmon Low Library: http://www.library.okstate.edu/

• Family Resource Center: http://www.reslife.okstate.edu/frc/

• Health Insurance (Student): http://uhs.okstate.edu/student-health-insurance-plan

• Information Technology: http://www.it.okstate.edu/

• Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence: http://itle.okstate.edu/

• International Student and Scholars Office: http://iss.okstate.edu/

• International Students Arrival and Orientation: http://iss.okstate.edu/arrival-orientation

• Office of Multicultural Affairs: http://icae.okstate.edu/

• OSU High Performance Computing Center: http://hpc.it.okstate.edu/

• OSU Writing Center: http://osuwritingcenter.okstate.edu/

• Residential Life: http://www.reslife.okstate.edu/

• Responsible Conduct Research Training: http://compliance.okstate.edu/rcr/training

• OSU Research Compliance:

o Appropriate Use of Human Subjects in Research: http://compliance.okstate.edu/irb/irb-index

o Appropriate Use of Animals in Research: http://compliance.okstate.edu/iacuc/iacuc-index

o Biosafety Program: http://compliance.okstate.edu/ibc/ibc-index

o Radiation Safety Program: http://compliance.okstate.edu/rso/rso-index

o Laser Safety Program: http://compliance.okstate.edu/lso/lso-index

• Seretean Wellness Center: http://wellness.okstate.edu/

• Services for Students with Disabilities: http://sds.okstate.edu/

• Student Affairs: https://studentaffairs.okstate.edu/

• Student Code of Conduct: https://studentconduct.okstate.edu/code

• The OSU Student Union: http://union.okstate.edu/

• University Counseling Services: http://ucs.okstate.edu/

• University Health Services: http://uhs.okstate.edu/

• University Parking Services: http://www.parking.okstate.edu/

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APPENDIX A: SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

As described in the introduction of this handbook template, graduate school represents a new

educational experience. Students are faced with a large amount of complex information and are

expected to be more independent. Graduate school can be a stressful experience for students.

Programs are encouraged to provide information for their students to help them not only survive but

thrive in the in graduate school. A few examples are provided below. In addition to the resources that

programs may have that are discipline specific, the Graduate College provides a list of resources that will

be available on the graduate faculty D2L website. (Graduate faculty can access this website by logging

on to D2L and changing their role from “faculty” to “student”.) Programs are encouraged to visit this

website and incorporate materials into this section of their handbook.

• UCLA Graduate School Survival Guide: https://grad.ucla.edu/asis/library/survivalguide.pdf

• PhDs.org Succeeding in Graduate School:

o How to Succeed in Graduate School: A Guide for Students and

Advisors http://www.csee.umbc.edu/~mariedj/papers/advice.pdf

o What Predicts Graduate School Success:

http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2012/09/cover-success.aspx

o Ten Simple Rules for Graduate Students:

http://chem.virginia.edu/graduate-studies/test-links-pg/how-to-succeed-as-a-graduate-student/

o Your First Year in a Ph.D. Program: http://chronicle.com/article/Your-First-Year-in-a-PhD/142953/

o Graduate School Survival Guide: https://grad.ucla.edu/asis/library/survivalguide.pdf

o The Successful Graduate Student: A Review of the Factors for Success:

http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/10569.pdf

• A Brief Survival Guide for New Graduate Teaching Assistants at UNC Charlotte:

http://teaching.uncc.edu/learning-resources/articles-books/best-practice/teaching-

researchassistants/survival-guide-new-tas